Title 15, Commerce and TradeRelease 119-110
§687a Revocation and Suspension of Licenses; Cease and Desist Orders
Title 15 › CHAPTER 14B — SMALL BUSINESS INVESTMENT PROGRAM › SUBCHAPTER III — INVESTMENT DIVISION PROGRAMS › Part A — Small Business Investment Companies › § 687a
Summary
The Administration can suspend or take away a license or order someone to stop certain acts if they break rules. Reasons include knowingly lying in required written statements, leaving out important facts that make a statement misleading, willful or repeated breaks of the law or of the Administration’s rules, or failing to follow a cease-and-desist order. The Administration can tell someone to stop or to do things needed to follow the law, and it can suspend a license until the person follows the order. Before taking action, the Administration must give the person an order to show cause that explains the facts, the law used, and when and where a hearing will be. After a hearing (or if the person waives it), the Administration will issue a final order that explains its findings, the reasons, and the date the order takes effect, and it will serve that order on the person. The Administration can require witnesses and documents from anywhere in the United States by subpoena; the party who called a witness must pay the same fees and mileage that federal courts pay, and a court can force compliance with a subpoena. A person must ask the U.S. court of appeals for review within 30 days after the order is served. Filing a petition does not automatically stop the order, but the court can stay it. The court may uphold, change, or cancel the order, and the Administration or the court can reopen the hearing for more evidence. If someone disobeys an order, the Administration can ask the court of appeals where the person’s main office is to enforce it.
Full Legal Text
Title 15, §687a
Commerce and Trade, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Grounds for suspension or revocation
A license may be revoked or suspended by the Administration—
(1)for false statements knowingly made in any written statement required under this subchapter, or under any regulation issued under this subchapter by the Administration;
(2)if any written statement required under this subchapter, or under any regulation issued under this subchapter by the Administrator, fails to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statement not misleading in the light of the circumstances under which the statement was made;
(3)for willful or repeated violation of, or willful or repeated failure to observe, any provision of this chapter;
(4)for willful or repeated violation of, or willful or repeated failure to observe, any rule or regulation of the Administration authorized by this chapter; or
(5)for violation of, or failure to observe, any cease and desist order issued by the Administration under this section.
(b)Grounds for cease and desist order
Where a licensee or any other person has not complied with any provision of this chapter, or of any regulation issued pursuant thereto by the Administration, or is engaging or is about to engage in any acts or practices which constitute or will constitute a violation of such chapter or regulation, the Administration may order such licensee or other person to cease and desist from such action or failure to act. The Administration may further order such licensee or other person to take such action or to refrain from such action as the Administration deems necessary to insure compliance with this chapter and the regulations. The Administration may also suspend the license of a licensee, against whom an order has been issued, until such licensee complies with such order.
(c)Order to show cause; contents; hearing; issuance and service
Before revoking or suspending a license pursuant to subsection (a), or issuing a cease and desist order pursuant to subsection (b), the Administration shall serve upon the licensee and any other person involved an order to show cause why an order revoking or suspending the license or a cease and desist order should not be issued. Any such order to show cause shall contain a statement of the matters of fact and law asserted by the Administration and the legal authority and jurisdiction under which a hearing is to be held, and shall set forth that a hearing will be held before the Administration at a time and place stated in the order. If after hearing, or a waiver thereof, the Administration determines on the record that an order revoking or suspending the license or a cease and desist order should issue, it shall promptly issue such order, which shall include a statement of the findings of the Administration and the grounds and reasons therefor and specify the effective date of the order, and shall cause the order to be served on the licensee and any other person involved.
(d)Subpena of person, and books, papers and documents; fees and mileage; enforcement
The Administration may require by subpena the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of all books, papers, and documents relating to the hearing from any place in the United States. Witnesses summoned before the Administration shall be paid by the party at whose instance they were called the same fees and mileage that are paid witnesses in the courts of the United States. In case of disobedience to a subpena, the Administration, or any party to a proceeding before the Administration, may invoke the aid of any court of the United States in requiring the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of books, papers, and documents.
(e)Petition to modify or set aside order; filing, time and place, Administration to submit record; action of court; review
An order issued by the Administration under this section shall be final and conclusive unless within thirty days after the service thereof the licensee, or other person against whom an order is issued, appeals to the United States court of appeals for the circuit in which such licensee has its principal place of business by filing with the clerk of such court a petition praying that the Administration’s order be set aside or modified in the manner stated in the petition. After the expiration of such thirty days, a petition may be filed only by leave of court on a showing of reasonable grounds for failure to file the petition theretofore. The clerk of the court shall immediately cause a copy of the petition to be delivered to the Administration, and the Administration shall thereupon certify and file in the court a transcript of the record upon which the order complained of was entered. If before such record is filed the Administration amends or sets aside its order, in whole or in part, the petitioner may amend the petition within such time as the court may determine, on notice to the Administration. The filing of a petition for review shall not of itself stay or suspend the operation of the order of the Administration, but the court of appeals in its discretion may restrain or suspend, in whole or in part, the operation of the order pending the final hearing and determination of the petition. The court may affirm, modify, or set aside the order of the Administration. If the court determines that the just and proper disposition of the case requires the taking of additional evidence, the court shall order the Administration to reopen the hearing for the taking of such evidence, in such manner and upon such terms and conditions as the court may deem proper. The Administration may modify its findings as to the facts, or make new findings, by reason of the additional evidence so taken, and it shall file its modified or new findings and the amendments, if any, of its order, with the record of such additional evidence. No objection to an order of the Administration shall be considered by the court unless such objection was urged before the Administration or, if it was not so urged, unless there were reasonable grounds for failure to do so. The judgment and decree of the court affirming, modifying, or setting aside any such order of the Administration shall be subject only to review by the Supreme Court of the United States upon certification or certiorari as provided in section 1254 of title 28.
(f)Enforcement of order
If any licensee or other person against which or against whom an order is issued under this section fails to obey the order, the Administration may apply to the United States court of appeals, within the circuit where the licensee has its principal place of business, for the enforcement of the order, and shall file a transcript of the record upon which the order complained of was entered. Upon the filing of the application the court shall cause notice thereof to be served on the licensee or other person. The evidence to be considered, the procedure to be followed, and the jurisdiction of the court shall be the same as is provided in subsection (e) for applications to set aside or modify orders.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
For definition of “this chapter”, referred to in subsecs. (a)(3), (4) and (b), see
References in Text
note set out under section 661 of this title.
Amendments
1984—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 98–620, § 402(15)(A), struck out provision that the proceedings in such cases in the court of appeals had to be made a preferred cause and had to be expedited in every way. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 98–620, § 402(15)(B), struck out provision that the proceedings in such cases had to be made a preferred cause and expedited in every way. 1966—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 89–779, § 4(b), inserted reference to revocation in introductory text preceding par. (1), and, in pars. (1) and (2), deleted restriction which limited the grounds for suspension or revocation for false or misleading statements to the situation in which such statements were made for the purpose of obtaining a license. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 89–779, § 4(c), expanded the Administration’s authority to issue cease and desist orders by authorizing their issuance against individuals who have not complied with provisions of this chapter and against both licensees and individuals who have violated or are about to violate this chapter or
Regulations
issued pursuant thereto. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 89–779, § 4(d), inserted references to persons involved other than the licensee and to the revocation of licenses so as to conform the subsec. to the expansion of the Administration’s authority to revoke licenses and to issue cease and desist orders to persons other than licensees under subsecs. (a) and (b). Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 89–779, § 4(e), authorized the appeal from an order issued by the Administration under this section by other persons, besides the licensee, against whom an order is issued. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 89–779, § 4(f), provided that individuals as well as licensees are to be affected by subsec. (f).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1984 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 98–620 not applicable to cases pending on Nov. 8, 1984, see section 403 of Pub. L. 98–620, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 1657 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
15 U.S.C. § 687a
Title 15, Commerce and Trade
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110